News from Greater Minnesota and South Dakota

Tim Walz

Jun 18, 2017

Two friends called to share their reflections on a CD1 DFL fundraiser in Fairmont at which five potential DFL candidates spoke to South Central Minnesota Democrats. The photo above, shared on the First Congressional District DFL Facebook page, shows the range of talent running for party endorsement. From left to right: Daniel Feehan, Colin Minehart, Joe Sullivan, Vicki Jensen and John Wayne Austinson.

Our friends at the Fairmont event described a stump speech in which Jensen apparently forgot a memorized text, remained mostly silent for 30 seconds or more, then resumed speaking. According to these sources, they were not impressed.

While no DFL candidates have yet to announce their candidacy for the 1st Congressional District held by U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, the field could get crowded within the next month or so.

Dan Feehan, a 34-year-old Army veteran who served as assistant secretary of defense in the Obama administration, is preparing to run for the seat, the Wall Street Journal reported this week. Although he hasn't lived in the district since he was 14, Feehan grew up in it and reportedly is house-hunting in Mankato, with his wife and two children. Feehan still lives in Washington.

"I'm on a very steep learning curve to learn everything that goes into this and to maintain every aspect of authenticity that I have," Feehan, who hasn't run for political office before, was quoted as saying in the journal article. . . .

Feehan's mention in the Journal story was part of a larger look at the national map. It noted the last time Democrats won a House majority was in part because of the unpopularity of the Iraq War. Now, many of those who fought in America's post-9/11 conflicts are running as candidates.

The Democratic party is running military veterans in competitive congressional districts across the country: 15 veterans already have launched 2018 House campaigns, and 10 more may enter races by the summer, the journal quoted Democratic leaders as saying.

But Feehan will have to overcome the carpetbagger label the GOP will seek to attach to him if he does run.

"The Obama administration has kind of handpicked somebody to come and be a carpetbagger for our district," Munson said. "I don't think the Democrats like this top-down dictating who the candidate is supposed to be."

Joe Sullivan is the Manager of Strategic Relations for the Center for Energy and Environment. Joe works with policy makers, regulators, utilities, energy advocates, and other key stakeholders to advance energy efficiency and clean energy in Minnesota.

Prior to coming to CEE, Joe worked as the Regional Policy Manager – West for Wind on the Wires (WOW). For WOW, Joe worked in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa to advance policies for wind power and transmission access. Joe also spent six and a half years representing a municipal power agency and greater Minnesota cities as a senior attorney at Flaherty & Hood P.A. in St. Paul, Minn. At Flaherty & Hood, Joe worked on renewable energy, transmission issues, state conservation goals, greenhouse gas reduction initiatives, net metering and Community-Based Energy Development issues. He’s also represented Minnesota cities on nuclear waste issues and an electric rate case. Additionally, Joe has worked extensively with coalitions, particularly the Coalition of Utility Cities, on utility taxation issues. Prior to joining Flaherty & Hood, Joe worked in Washington, DC at the U.S. House Committee on Science and at the Internal Revenue Service.

Joe holds degrees from Marquette University and University of Wisconsin Law School.

Our source at the Fairmont event said that Sullivan said he worked in the energy sector and he appears to be the fellow in the Facebook photo. [end update].

More as this endorsement contest shapes up.

Photo: The contenders at Fairmont.

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Two years ago, Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) — the veteran community's strongly preferred candidate to command a leadership post on the House Veterans Affairs Committee — was placed to the side by House Democratic leadership while competing for the House VA Cmte leadership job.

This move was made (at the beginning of the last Congress) for political and inner-caucus reasons and cleared the way for Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fl), a longer serving Congresswoman, known for her hyper partisan persona, and combative working relationship with Republicans on the committee.

Politics backfired. . . .

Fortunately, Mr. Walz is back at the top of the list to occupy the job he should have been selected for two years ago, and this time the Democrats can achieve redemption and get this right.

Walz is a veterans' veteran, having served 24 years in the Army National Guard he achieved the rank of Command Sergeant Major and milestone of being the highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress.

However, that fact is only the surface of his qualifications which include: leading a bipartisan coalition and getting a major veteran suicide prevention bill passed (Clay Hunt SAV Act) through a Republican Congress and signed by President Barack Obama that cemented his bi-partisan negotiating chops at a time when none of us thought partisan politics could be put aside--even for veterans.

He negotiated effectively to elevate many other legislative priorities and policy issues during his tenure on the VA committee as well, and attracts hope from those of us in the veteran community through his affable and accessible persona, and workhorse reputation. Congressman Tim Walz has been a proven leader for Veterans, and understand the unique needs of our community, he is one of us, and frankly we need him.

Challenging him in his race to become the House VA leader is Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA). Mr. Takano despite a very positive attitude and genuine interest in fixing the problems facing our community, lacks the experience, record, and toughness we need at this time. . . .

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Dec 22, 2016

Back in 2012, Minnesota First District Congressman Tim Walz, D-Mankato, installed a tile line in the proverbial DC swamp by getting some anti-corruption legislation passed. It was called the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act.

Walz is asking that Trump obey the law upon inauguration--and to understand it. In a press release from the congressman's office:

Yesterday, Representative Tim Walz (MN-01) sent a letter to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chair Jason Chaffetz and Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings requesting the Committee pay close attention to President-elect Trump’s compliance with the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act upon inauguration.

Signed into law in 2012 after passing the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, the Walz-authored STOCK Act bans insider trading on Capitol Hill. In addition to prohibiting Members of Congress, their staff, and executive branch employees from using information obtained through their positions to profit on the stock market, the bill also explicitly bans the President and Vice President from doing the same. As a result, unlike virtually all other conflict of interest rules governing federal employees, the President is not exempt from the provisions of the STOCK Act.

Rep. Walz and Congress’ intent of the STOCK Act was reaffirmed by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) in a December 15, 2016 legal advisory. Among other requirements the President must obey, the interpretive guidance states that the STOCK Act bars the President from: “using nonpublic information for private profit; engaging in insider trading; or intentionally influencing an employment decision or practice of a private entity solely on the basis of partisan political affiliation.”

Since being elected to the highest office in the land, President-elect Trump has responded to matters of conflict of interest and ethics laws like the STOCK Act by claiming “the law’s totally on [his] side” and that “The president can’t have a conflict of interest.” These statements stand in stark contrast to the letter of the STOCK Act and OGE’s corresponding legal advisory.

“As the President-elect’s comments raise many questions concerning whether he intends to comply with the STOCK Act, I am requesting that the Committee keep a very close eye on the actions of the President-elect upon taking the oath of office as they relate to the provisions of the STOCK Act,” wrote Rep. Walz.

“Congress has a constitutional responsibility to provide oversight of the actions of the executive branch, and investigate into those actions when necessary,” Walz continued. “I fully expect that the Committee will not treat this serious ethical matter any differently.”

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. . . The Lugar Center of Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy ranked Walz fourth among 434 members of the U.S. House in its bipartisan index for 2015; the index measures how often a member of Congress introduces bills that succeed in attracting co-sponsors from members of the other party, and how often they co-sponsor a bill introduced from across the aisle.

It’s hard to imagine Hagedorn, if elected, earning a similar rating. He has been a strong supporter of Trump, who has alienated many within his own party (but, of course, is by no means out of the race thanks to the many imperfections of Hillary Clinton). He has campaigned with intonations of fear, offering dire warnings of massive immigration to America by this country’s enemies along with other far-right mythmaking. . . .

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Kent Wawrzynaikhttp://www.cnn.com/.../donald-trump-women-lewd-comments...When are you going to comment on this? You have attached your candidacy to Mr Trump and as a father and husband I think you need to denounce this. I live in the first district and I and many others would like to hear from you on this.

Looking ahead to November, Hagedorn said he is confident Trump will win the 1st District and the White House in November.

He added, "I predicted a long time ago that by the end of the election, (Democrats) will be running away from Hillary Clinton as fast as other Republicans will be running toward Donald Trump. I really believe that."

Minnesota's First Congressional District, which stretches across the bottom part of the state from the South Dakota to Wisconsin borders, with the Iowa border at its feet, is not considered competitive by any national handicapper.

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Aug 03, 2016

Jim Hagedorn, the endorsed Republican candidate in Minnesota's First Congressional district, is doubling down on his notion that rudeness is the ticket to win the hearts, minds and votes of Southern Minnesotans.

The Uptake reports that he agrees with Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump's attacks on Gold Star parents who are Muslim because ...Muslim extremism!

Writing about now-Sen. John Thune's race against Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson, Hagedorn turned his razor-sharp wit on America's most coddled demographic—Native Americans. "The race has been highlighted by a Democrat drive to register voters in several of several of South Dakota's expansive redistribution of wealth centers…err…casino parlors…err…Indian reservations. Remarkably, many of the voters registered for absentee ballots were found to be chiefs and squaws who had returned to the spirit world many moons ago." Alleging that fake votes from Indians would provide the margin of victory, he echoed "John Wayne's wisdom of the only good Indian being a dead Indian."

Hagedorn may have been joking. (The quip's real author, General Philip Sheridan, wasn't.) But American Indians were a favorite punching bag over at Mr. Conservative. . .

Hagedorn was among Republican hopefuls interviewed by The Uptake Tuesday at Farmfest for the article, MN GOP Congressional Candidates Back Trump Despite His Statements. While "Despite His Statements" is accurate for Sixth District Congressman Tom Emmer, and Seventh District Republican primary challenger Amanda Hinson, Hagedorn is totally on board with Trump's flame war against Khizr and Ghazala Khan:

Emmer’s support comes with some caveats. He thinks Trump needs to be a little more careful about what he’s saying.

“I understand that he feels as though he was attacked, but when you’re dealing with Gold Star parents — people who have made the ultimate sacrifice — I think you just…they get a free pass on all of that. You know what, that’s something he’ll have to learn.”

Jim Hagedorn, the Republican candidate for Minnesota’s first congressional district, has no such misgivings about what Trump is saying. When asked about Trump’s criticism of the military parents, Hagedorn immediately zeroed in on the fact that they were Muslim.

“Here’s the underlying issue, we have to secure our borders and we have to protect the American people from Muslim extremism, supremacists who want to come here. I have a refugee program time out that I’ve called for and I also don’t believe that at this point in time, given what’s going on in the world, it makes sense to bring people to America from countries that hate America. It’s time to step up and put our country first.” . . .

“What we should do with refugees, is we should try to have ‘safe zones’ and make sure that they can be repatriated to their home country. But I would try to create safe zones near their home country rather than bring them into our culture and change our culture.”

In fact, First District voters do not understand why Walz supported Obama's program to flood America with almost 1 million Muslims from nations that hate Christians and abhor Western values.

The result: Minnesota has a terrorist recruiting problem from existing East African refugees.

It's time to elect a new Republican President and new First District Congressman who will defend the United States and protect the American people from Islamic supremacists.

Short skinny: Hagedorn can just pretend Trump hasn't insulted the Khan family because terrorism! The same day Hagedorn posted the Breitbart.com article, Congressman Tim Walz, the high-ranking enlisted man to have served in the House, issued this statement about the flap:

The Khan Family has earned our respect and gratitude. As someone who wore this nation’s uniform for 24 years, I served alongside soldiers of every race, religion and background. That’s what makes us strong. We must always unite in support of Gold Star families who made the ultimate sacrifice and continue our work to ensure that sacrifice is honored and remembered.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

Aug 02, 2016

The first inter-party congressional debates of the political season happen Tuesday morning at Farmfest near Redwood Falls, Minnesota. The forum, which is focused on rural issues is scheduled to start at 10:30 A.M. and go until noon.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

Republican congressional candidate Jim Hagedorn is seeing the fundraising advantages of being the endorsed candidate rather than the insurgent.

Two years ago, Hagedorn had raised just $75,000 through the first half of 2014 when he was hoping to win a primary election and snatch the Republican nomination from endorsed candidate Aaron Miller.

Hagedorn succeeded in beating Miller, but he was in a fundraising hole throughout the general election campaign and lost to Democratic Congressman Tim Walz by 8 percentage points.

In 2016, Hagedorn has the Republican endorsement and managed to more than double his fundraising in the same period — collecting just over $190,000 (a figure that drops to $181,000 when the candidate's personal donations to the campaign are subtracted).

Looked at in another light, however, we see that Republican moneybags are dropping fewer dimes in Minnesota's First Congressional District, which stretches from the Wisconsin state line to South Dakota along the Iowa border.

That's the good news for Hagedorn as he prepares for a Nov. 8 rematch with Walz. He has $43,000 more cash on hand at the end of the second quarter than he did at the same point in the last campaign, and Walz has $53,000 less in the bank.

The bad news for Hagedorn is that Walz still has a massive fundraising lead, having raised $1.15 million through June 30 and with $489,000 in cash on hand. So the Mankato resident has $10 in the bank for the fall campaign for every $1 Hagedorn has set aside.

The race doesn't seem to have captured the attention of the national handicappers or that of much of anyone.

Screengrab:On Facebook on July 18, Hagedorn let supporters know how much he loves Donald Trump: "Prospective nominees Donald Trump and Mike Pence have my complete support and I look forward to running with them and offering bold solutions to Make America Great Again!" Given that Hagedorn wholeheartedly supported TPP in 2014, Bluestem thinks that's mighty generous of him.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

Nov 19, 2015

Congressmen Tim Walz (MN01), Collin Peterson (MN07) and Rick Nolan (MN08) have joined Minnesota's Republican representatives in voting for the American Safe Act of 2015. Fourth District Congresswoman Betty McCollum voted against the bill, while Fifth District Congressman Keith Ellison did not vote.

The House of Representatives has easily passed a GOP-authored bill to restrict the admission of Iraqi and Syrian refugees to America by requiring extra security procedures.

The bill — called the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015, or the American SAFE Act of 2015 — would require the secretary of Homeland Security, the head of the FBI and the director of national intelligence to sign off on every individual refugee from Iraq and Syria, affirming he or she is not a threat.

The FBI director would also need to confirm that a background investigation, separate from the Homeland Security screening, had been conducted on each refugee.

Lawmakers say it is the first of many bills aimed at addressing security concerns in the wake of the Paris attacks, reports NPR's Muthoni Muturi.

Supporters of the bill say it would require a "pause" in admitting Syrian and Iraqi refugees, as current applications would be halted while a new vetting process was established. Some conservative critics object that it doesn't ban such refugees outright. . . .

But despite McCaul’s and the committee’s tough-sounding rhetoric, the bill—several congressional aides and the actual text of the legislation confirm—simply requires one new step for Syrian and Iraqi refugee admittance and resettlement: That the Director of National Intelligence, the director of the FBI and the Secretary of Homeland Security approve any such refugees beforehand. Each of those people work for President Obama at the pleasure of the president.

“That’s like asking Janet Napolitano to verify the border is secure,” one GOP aide told Breitbart News. “Of course they are going to approve them without hesitation.” . . .

But another congressional GOP aide from an office highly skeptical of the package told Breitbart News if anyone expects three top officials who serve at the pleasure of the president to rebuff Obama’s wishes they’re kidding themselves.

National Public Radio reports that the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate and President Obama has promised a veto should it reach his desk:

It's unclear whether the Senate will take up the legislation, says NPR's Arnie Seipel. If the bill does pass through Congress, President Obama has pledged to veto it. But in the House of Representatives, Republicans would only need one more vote to make the bill veto-proof.

The administration says the bill would introduce "unnecessary and impractical requirements that would unacceptably hamper our efforts to assist some of the most vulnerable people in the world."

It would also undermine allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe, the administration says.

Obama argues that the existing vetting process — which includes fingerprinting, examination of personal history and interviews — is sufficient, and the certification requirement the Republicans are calling for would "provide no meaningful additional security."

The Obama administration has recently begun disclosing details about how Syrian refugees are currently screened. As we reported Tuesday, the process includes multiple agencies and lasts up to two years. . . .

The U.S. has taken in about 2,500 Syrian refugees since 2011, according to the AP, and the Obama administration has announced a plan to accept 10,000 more in the coming year. The White House says half of the refugees admitted to the U.S. are children, and about a quarter are older than 60.

We're disappointed that the three Democrats are playing along with this nonsense. Walz has issued a statement about his vote:

“Throughout my life, both in and out of uniform, my priority has been to ensure the safety and security of the American people. We have to protect our country and live up to our founding ideals. Over the past several days, I have met with experts, studied the issue and solicited the opinions of southern Minnesotans. The message from southern Minnesota has been very clear: our care and compassion for those fleeing terror is absolute, but we have to find a way to ensure that we keep Americans safe from harm. I supported this legislation today because I believe it adds important safeguards to ensure additional security. I believe doing so is critical to the success of any refugee program, and I will continue to fight to ensure we take every possible measure to protect our country.”

Photo: Rather than letting refugees literally drown in the ocean, the Safe Act will figuratively let them drown in red tape.

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May 13, 2015

Bluestem Prairie is in deep mourning tonight, since Representative Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center) has decided to refrain from challenging Tim Walz for the seat in Minnesota's First Congressional District.

Seven-term state Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Vernon Center, ruled out a run for Congress against Democratic Rep. Tim Walz Wednesday morning.

Cornish, the chair of the House’s public safety committee, considered a run carefully, going to far as to talk to potential political directors for the run against Walz. But ultimately he decided the risk wasn’t worth it. . . .

Hagedorn . . . .earned the highest vote percentage (45.7%) against Walz since the incumbent was first elected in 2006. Hagedorn performed equal to or better than highly-bankrolled GOP challengers running in higher-profile races, in Minnesota and nationwide.

However, this was not the closest election Walz faced, as Montgomery phrased it.

That would be 2010, when three opponents kept Walz to under fifty percent. Randy Demmer took 44.05% of the vote to Walz's 49.34%. That 5.29 point margin is smaller than the 8.6 point spread between Walz and Hagedorn.

Indeed, Johnson and Wilson were conservative candidates; Hagedorn failed to capture much of the slack.

Three of Minnesota’s Democratic members of Congress are stepping in to a political debate in the state Legislature.

Reps. Rick Nolan, Keith Ellison and Tim Walz will hold a press conference on Monday with state Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle and advocacy group Move MN to urge lawmakers to pass “reliable funding” for state roads and bridges.

Congress also plays a major role in funding Minnesota roads, and its lack of action as the national Highway Trust Fund runs out of money has spurred states around the country to tackle transportation funding themselves. Nolan, Ellison and Walz are all in the minority in the House. . . .

According to his website, "Rick [Nolan] is the only member of Minnesota's House Delegation on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee." He serves on the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

Frustrated by eight years of inaction on the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., the highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress, is making a midcareer move to the House Armed Services Committee — a perch he thinks will be more productive and satisfying.

Walz secured his new slot earlier this month after lobbying Democratic leadership. On Armed Services, he will be charged with annually approving the military spending budget.

“Armed Services is, whether you agree with it or not, the one area where things get done,” Walz said. “Budgets go through, things happen.”

While Walz was not among the most senior Democrats on the House Transportation Committee, his departure comes at a critical time for transportation and infrastructure reform.

The federal Highway Trust Fund is projected to go belly up in May, a problem both House and Senate Republicans acknowledge needs to be addressed likely through more revenue. Transportation infrastructure needs loom large in Minnesota, where officials say nearly half the state’s bridges are in poor or mediocre condition and almost 2.5 million commuters drive across a deficient bridge each day. Gov. Mark Dayton recently proposed a wholesale tax on gasoline of 6.5 percent per gallon, along with a hike in license fees and a metro-wide one-cent sales tax increase, to help solve the problem.

In Rochester, which is in Walz’s district, Mayor Ardell Brede awaits a Hwy. 14 expansion from Rochester to Owatonna. He says the road is among the most dangerous in the state and should be four lanes the whole way. Commuters driving to work at the Mayo Clinic simultaneously face the sun and grapple with strip of highway that abruptly changes from four- to two-lanes.

Walz is familiar with all this, but angrily notes that for six years, “the Transportation Committee has done nothing … except argue about the cost of soda in Amtrak and debate about urban vs. rural transportation needs.”

He says he can advocate for stretches like Hwy. 14 without being on the committee. “Our point is that you can advocate for transportation on a broader scale,” Walz said. . . .

Feb 26, 2015

When Tim Walz won a surprise victory over six-term MN01 incumbent Gil Gutknecht in 2006, one of the areas where Walz enjoyed tactical superiority was his swarm of young supporters in their early 20s who knew how the Internet worked.

Thus, his statement on FCC's embrace of strong net neutrality on Thursday is no surprise. From his office:

Today, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, a longtime supporter of keeping the internet free and open, lauded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling today that will create strong net neutrality rules to ensure access to the internet remains free and open as it is today.

“A free and open internet is important in a free and open society, and that’s exactly what strong net neutrality rules will continue to ensure we enjoy here in America,” said Rep. Walz,a longtime supporter of net neutrality. “This ruling by the FCC will ensure that you, the consumer, can determine what websites you have access to. It will prevent large corporations from becoming internet gatekeepers and slowing down access. And it will continue to foster competition, innovation, and growth in our economy. I applaud today’s ruling by the FCC and pledge to continue fighting to keep the internet free and open for all.”

Background:

What is net neutrality? It’s a very simple concept: keep the internet the way it is today, free and open for all. Enforcing strong net neutrality rules today basically means that nothing will change to the internet you know and love. According to FCC Chairman Wheeler, strong net neutrality rules “assures the rights of internet users to go where they want, when they want, and the rights of innovators to introduce new products without asking anyone’s permission.”

Why are net neutrality rules needed?There are concerns that, without strong net neutrality rules, internet service providers (ISPs) can, at their discretion, slow down or speed up access to certain websites and services. This could lead to higher prices for consumers and stifle innovation, competition, and growth.

For example, an ISP could act as a gatekeeper to the internet, forcing startups—and/or businesses that compete directly with other services offered by ISPs—to pay a premium in order for their service/website to be accessible at the same speeds as other, better established companies. Net neutrality rules would prevent ISPs from becoming internet gatekeepers and guarantee everyone has equal access to the internet, no matter how large or small your company is

Jan 09, 2015

Today, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee appointed Representative Tim Walz (D-MN) to serve on the influential House Armed Services Committee. In addition, Walz will continue to serve in prominent roles on the Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. Walz is the highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress.

“I’m honored to be selected by leadership to this influential committee and look forward to this new challenge and responsibility,” Representative Walzsaid about his selection to the House Armed Services Committee.

The Armed Services Committee retains jurisdiction of all subjects listed in clause 1(c) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives and retains exclusive jurisdiction for: defense policy generally, ongoing military operations, the organization and reform of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy, counter-drug programs, acquisition and industrial base policy, technology transfer and export controls, joint interoperability, the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, Department of Energy nonproliferation programs, and detainee affairs and policy.

Photo: First District Congressman Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato.

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Today, Representatives Tim Walz (D-MN), Chairman of the VA CommitteeJeff Miller (R-FL), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced the reintroduction of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (Clay Hunt SAV) Act, a bill supported by veterans and their advocates to help prevent veteran suicide and ensure our nations heroes get the care and support they need.

The legislation, named in honor of the late Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran and suicide prevention advocateClay Hunt, unanimously passed the House of Representatives in the 113th Congress and had broad support in the Senate, but was blocked from becoming law by a lone Senator. Representatives Walz, Miller, and Duckworth first introduced their bipartisan legislation last summer after spending months working together to write final legislation with veterans and their advocates.

“Currently, 22 veterans die by suicide each and every day,” Rep. Walz, the highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress, said. “These folks aren’t just our former warriors either; they’re our mothers and fathers. They’re our grandfathers and grandmothers. They’re our brothers and sisters. They’re our neighbors and friends. While no piece of legislation will completely end this heartbreaking epidemic, we cannot stand idly by while more of our heroes struggle with the invisible wounds of war. We must take action, and I continue to believe that this bipartisan bill is a step in the right direction. We can and must work urgently to send this bill to the President’s desk without delay.”

“Despite record mental health staffing and budget levels at the Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 18 to 22 veterans have been taking their own lives each day for more than a decade. Solutions to this horrific problem will only come from comprehensive, new ideas that improve the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health care available to our veterans. The Clay Hunt SAV Act will ensure VA’s mental health and suicide prevention efforts receive crucial independent, third party oversight while creating a greater accounting of available services and fostering an enhanced community approach to delivering veterans suicide prevention and mental health care treatment. I urge all my colleagues to once again join us in helping preserve the lives of our nation’s most at-risk returning heroes,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

“As a nation, we have a commitment to our Veterans to make sure that they receive the care that they need, and that means reducing barriers to care however we can. When an average of 22 Veterans commit suicide every day, we are failing them,” Representative Duckworth said. “I am proud to join with Congressman Walz and Chairman Miller in introducing this legislation that is a crucial step in reducing Veteran suicide.”

“IAVA applauds Chairman Miller, and Representatives Walz and Duckworth for reintroducing the Clay Hunt SAV Act in the House today," said IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff. “After last year's overwhelming bipartisan support, we now urge the House to move quickly in passing this bill, which will help curb the veteran suicide rate. Twenty-two veterans die by suicide each day and our country can provide the tools to help reverse that number. No veteran should have to cut through bureaucratic red tape to access the mental health care they earned. As Congress begins a new year, veterans and their families are watching Washington closely to see who has our back.”

A 2012 study from the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 22 veterans are lost each day to suicide. That’s over 150 veteran suicides per week, over 600 per month, and over 8,000 per year. To put these staggering numbers in perspective, it is estimated that more veterans take their own lives each year than have been Killed in Action since 9/11. <p">The Clay Hunt SAV Act seeks to quell this growing epidemic by:

Increasing Access to Mental Health Care and Capacity at VA to Meet Demand

Requires the VA to create a one-stop, interactive website to serve as a centralized source of information regarding all VA mental health services for veterans.

Addresses the shortage of mental health care professionals by authorizing the VA to conduct a student loan repayment pilot program aimed at recruiting and retaining psychiatrists.

Improving the Quality of Care and Boosting Accountability at VA

Requires evaluations of all mental health care and suicide prevention practices and programs at the VA to find out what’s working and what’s not working and make recommendations to improve care.

Developing a Community Support System for Veterans

Establishes a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning Servicemembers with accessing VA mental health care services.

Photo: Clay Hunt.

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Marine Cpl. Clay Hunt already was a survivor when he deployed to Afghanistan in 2008. An infantryman, he’d been wounded in the wrist by an enemy sniper in Iraq in 2007, just weeks after watching a fellow Marine sustain a mortal gunshot wound to the throat by another enemy marksman.

Hunt didn’t let his wounds in Iraq hold him back, though. He recovered, went to sniper school and then deployed with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, a unit from Twentynine Palms, Calif., that quietly deployed to Afghanistan in 2008, before the troop “surge,” and was spread across 10,000 square miles in Helmand and Farah provinces. Sixteen Marines and a Navy corpsman were killed in combat, and scores were wounded. They eventually were reinforced with more troops sent from the United States.

Hunt left the Marine Corps afterward. He struggled with depression, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress but threw himself into veterans advocacy and humanitarian work, even traveling to Haiti in 2009 with other Marine veterans to help after a devastating earthquake.

Then it was over. Hunt, 28, committed suicide in Houston in 2011. Family and friends said he had been battling the Department of Veterans Affairs to get his disability rating upgraded from 30 percent, as he struggled to find employment and his marriage unraveled. He locked himself in his apartment and turned a gun on himself.

Given just how little actually happens in Congress, and how many good bills die for no apparent reason, it’s easy to get a little cynical about what’s possible in the area of federal legislation.

Once in a while, though, a good idea actually passes. Take this afternoon, for example.

The House on Tuesday passed legislation to help prevent suicides of people who served in the military.

Passed by voice vote, the bill would require a third party to conduct an annual evaluation of suicide prevention programs at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) and Defense Department.

The measure was sponsored by Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), and enjoyed the enthusiastic support of veterans’ groups including the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). There is no roll call to link to because support was broad enough that the bill passed by voice vote.

To be sure, this wasn’t the highest-profile legislation to be taken up this year, and there wasn’t much of a lobbying campaign against it, but when worthwhile bills, which will make a real difference in the lives of people who deserve our support, are able to advance in this Congress, it’s cause for some relief.

Leaving the Senate the way he has served in it for 10 years, retiring Sen. Tom Coburn said “no” Monday night to a bill aimed at improving efforts to stop military veteran suicides.

Coburn, a family doctor, earnedthe nickname “Dr. No” for his habit of opposing even minor measures that would otherwise pass the Senate unanimously due to concern they would expand government or increase spending. He has often clashed with fellow Republicans, in part by holding up popular measures party leaders want to avoid fights over.

On Monday, Coburn defied senators in both parties, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and conventional Washington wisdom that says opposing minor bills with appealing goals for hard-to-explain reasons is always a political mistake.

Coburn objected to a motion to allow a vote on the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act, which requires annual outside reviews of suicide prevention efforts run by the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments.

In a statement issued today, Walz and other sponsors have vowed to renew the push for passage next year when the new congress convenes:

Today, Representative Tim Walz (D-MN), author of the bipartisan Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (Clay Hunt SAV) Act and highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress, released the following statement after Senator Tom Coburn blocked the bill’s passage, despite it having overwhelming support from veterans, their advocates, Republicans, and Democrats.

“22 veterans per day take their own lives. That’s over 150 suicides per week, over 600 suicides per month, and over 8,000 suicides per year. There is no doubt this is a serious problem that must be addressed. That is why I, along with House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), introduced the Clay Hunt SAV Act. While not a cure all, this bipartisan bill is designed to help the VA provide better mental health care services and is overwhelmingly supported by Republicans and Democrats, Servicemembers and civilians. I’m greatly disappointed that even this, the most bipartisan of measures, fell victim to politicking.

“Make no mistake, the fight isn’t over. We will rally from this setback; I will reintroduce this important legislation immediately in the 114th Congress, and there is no doubt in my mind it will eventually become law. Unfortunately, we know for a number of veterans that wait will be too large a burden to bear. Each day we fail to address this problem, more veterans die. It’s incredibly disappointing that this commonsense legislation was stymied by the only Member of Congress in either the House or Senate who objects to the bill.

“I thank everyone who played a part in getting us this far: veterans, veterans service organizations, especially IAVA, my co-authors House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and, most importantly, Clay’s courageous parents, Susan and Richard Selke. The Selkes have taken a personal tragedy that many of us cannot even begin to imagine, persevered, and are working to make positive change. They truly represent the best of us.

“While today we may have lost the battle, be certain that we will win the war.”

Photo: Clay Hunt.

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Nov 11, 2014

It's true that Jim Hagedorn, the 2014 Republican candidate in Minnesota's First Congressional District, received a hundred of a percent more of the total vote in the First than Torrey received in Minnesota's Seventh, but Hagedorn also fancies that he was on par with Stewart Mills III as well.

In a thank you email, Hagedorn wrote:

We performed at par or better than the higher profile races in the 7th and 8th Districts, which were the focus of DC and St. Paul operatives and outside money. Rather incredibly, our campaign spent just $1.96 for every vote earned, as compared with $50 or more per vote in those other races, making this District a missed opportunity.

According to the unofficial results on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website, Hagedorn received 103,536 votes or 45.67 percent of the votes cast in the district. In the Seventh, Westrom received 45.66 percent or 109,952 of the votes cast in the Seventh.

While Hagedorn did a hair better than Westrom, it's a stretch to say that he performed on par with Stewart Mills III in Minnesota's Eighth. Mills received 47.11 percent of the vote in a three-way contest, garnering 125,357 votes.

Would have more spending have boosted Hagedorn's fortunes? Perhaps, but investment in Hagedorn's bid would likely have triggered spending on behalf of incumbent Walz, as was the case in 2010, when moderate Republican Randy Demmer came the closest to unseating the Mankato Democrat.

As the spending per voter increased, attention would have been directed to Hagedorn's flaws. We doubt his bid would have been lifted by this--and so the boast rings a bit hollow.

Barely two days after cruising to an easy re-election victory after his second consecutive year without an opponent, state Rep. Tony Cornish confirmed Thursday he plans to challenge recently re-elected Congressman Tim Walz in the 2016 election.

Cornish, a longtime Republican lawmaker from Vernon Center, spoke to The Free Press by phone Thursday while helping friends with skinning a deer. He said he was approached by a few prominent 1st Congressional District activists to run in 2014 against the Mankato Democrat but declined because the field of potential candidates had become crowded.

Cornish said he is announcing this far ahead of the next election — before Walz has even begun his next term —because he wants to get feedback from the public and the Republican Party, which might help prevent another primary battle in the 1st District. . .

Bluestem suspects that the dandy but dead doe posted on Cornish's Facebook page (above) is the deer in question.

While the whitetail remains dead, today Cornish modified the story of his congressional bid via Facebook:

Cornish was also quick to point out that his comments about a possible run are by no means a full-fledged kick off to a 2016 campaign. “If Tony Cornish is going to make an announcement it’s going to be with much more fanfare,” he said.

Should a Walz and Cornish contest indeed emerge, we'll have no shortage of colorful metaphors and a target-rich environment.

Photo: That's one fine doe, bagged by Cornish's son. Can his father aim as well at the seat in congress?

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Oct 06, 2014

Via the Rochester Tea Party Patriots' enewsletter, an interview on a Rochester radio station with former congressman Gil Gutknecht, whom listeners are told took time out from his busy schedule to talk after a "Class of 1994" reunion in Washignton D.C.:

We're not sure who is pining for the Contract on America, but there you go.

Tim Walz defeated Gutknecht in a 2006 upset, and now few can spell his name.

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Republican Party of Olmsted County Chairman Bruce Kaskubar is a member of the committee. He had been leaning towards not holding a convention because of the added cost and expense. He made a motion to not hold a convention but have the committee vote to show their support for Hagedorn. But during the discussion, Kaskubar said some questioned with the Republican Party of Minnesota's constitution required that candidates be formally endorsed in order to receive access to party resources. In the end, he said the committee vote was nearly unanimous in favor of the endorsing convention.